Bachelorette Party

Forget "sexy." We brought the 80's back, and that was much more difficult.

Sexy is something people want all the time. The treasures of twenty years ago... not so much. For example, the Crimp (a.k.a. Rabid-Lion Mane):
Those of you who know me know that drunken exploits with nekked men are not my idea of a good time, so in lieu of the cliche bachelorette party where newly-waxed, highly-oiled male strippers burst from a paper-mache cake, or the usual bar crawl where the objective is to drink as much as possible in as little time as possible to ensure you don't remember anything the next morning, I opted for a rockin' good time at The Legwarmers.

Now, if you don't know this band, it is really a travesty. Not only are they an excellent cover band, but they actually have some personality and pizazz. You'd think that for performers, pizazz would be a necessary prerequisite, but alas, this is not so. I've been to plenty of events where I was ready to leave a quarter of the way through because I was bored to death.

Last night, though, we danced like it was 1999.

Heidi and Diane threw this shindig together, and bless them-- they went all out. I was originally supposed to wear a turquoise prom dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves, but luckily they weren't too upset when I opted out. I'm glad I did, because although it was a fantastic dress, it was not a terribly breathable fabric, and the concert was HOT. In a tank top and short skirt I was sweating like a fat man doing speed aerobics. I still sported a Heidi's wedding veil and a FANTASTIC "Bride To Be" sash Diane made me to distinguish me as a VIP. And Catherine (bless her heart) battled rush hour traffic driving from Philly to DC to be with me!! LOVE THESE GIRLS!!!

The evening started when we went to a local Latino restaurant that I love!! Catherine met us there, and we headed to Diane's to get ready... Yes, that is where all the magic happened :) We got to the concert at around 10, and kicked it old school until a little after 1. By the time I got home, I was exhausted and half deaf.

In fact, my ears are still ringing...

That alarmed me this morning when I woke up. In the past, any ringing had stopped a couple hours after the concert was over. Marc assures me that this too will pass, although it might take a couple of days. I'm apprehensive of this, only because it would be just my luck to go deaf because of this one night.

Anyway, we had a raging good time and I'm truly honored that these girls love me so much to go to all this trouble!! They are THE BEST, and I'm so lucky to have them as friends.

Birthday Dinner!

Since our birthdays are so close together, M and I celebrate them with one event. Last year, we hosted a dinner at a local restaurant for our friends, and it went so well that we decided to do it again this year!

A few weeks ago, we tried Vapiano. A relatively inexpensive Italian place, the concept is great and the food even better. We were so impressed that we bestowed upon them the honor of putting up with our crowd this time around.

The dress I'm wearing to dinner is a vintage find (circa 1960) from Annie Creamcheese, a boutique in Georgetown specializing in clothing from days gone by. This was a birthday present to myself, purchased after the lovely Heidi took me out for lunch on my special day. Later that evening, M and I went to the Melting Pot for cheese and chocolate, which is always fun. This dinner with our friends was held on M's actual birthday, so he celebrated by spending the day playing video games in his underwear and then hanging out with our friends. Perfect!

We had a good time, and it was nice to hang out with everyone... So, thanks guys for helping us celebrate our birthdays! Man, we're getting old...

Jenn, Diane, & Heidi

Rachel, Marc, & Cooper
The Birthday Boy & Girl

Helicopters & Houses, Part Deux

First, let me say that if you ever need an idea for a great gift, go with the experiential ones (unless your special recipient has specifically requested a tangible object). In my limited life experience, those are the ones that lend themselves to recollection years from now: "On my 27th birthday, I flew a helicopter!" makes a better story than "On my 27th birthday, I got an electric toothbrush!"

Ya know?

Anyway, so M did enjoy his birthday present!! I know there was a little confusion based on his initial reaction, but it turns out that the flight lesson was a success. Here are some pictures from the day:

Here we are in front of the American Helicopter building where all the madness begins...

After a brief safety lesson, and an unnecessarily long wait for the helicopter to be 'readied,' he could finally crawl into what I lovingly deemed the "Flying Bubble." The R-22 on the side is the model, and it's signature was "Delta Whiskey" (N259DW).
Here the guys (M and his instructor Jerry, one of those crazy old air dogs who is afraid of a moment of silence) take off. It was neat to watch, as I originally thought that a helicopter take off was a merely vertical endeavor. Oh, no no no! In fact, they took off and hovered a few feet off the ground, taxiing like an airplane. Very cool.

Finally, here is a picture I took from the ground as the helicopter made a pass overhead. I found out later that at this point, Marc is actually flying the beast!
All in all, it was a great day and something that he'll remember forever. Happy Birthday, Pootie!

Now, about houses...

I started off the day happy and optimistic. Look how cute I am in my green coat!! At this point I'm thinking, "Today we will find it!! Today is the day!!"
Six hours and 11 houses later, we only had two reasonable prospects. TWO. M likes one, I like the other, and we're in a deadlock. Everything is so expensive, and you really don't get much for your money in downtown Philadelphia. I vote we buy The Dollhouse (still on the market and lowered another $25K) and spend the money we're saving on a) school loans, b) furniture, and c) a Vespa.

Bottom line: House hunting sucks... at least at the moment.

More to come when we have more to report, I promise! Until then, stay well, and count down days until The Wedding!

Helicopters & Houses

April is an extraordinary month, particularly in our little subset (Marc and me), and this is why: Our birthdays!! Mine comes first (April 4), and then six days later, his rears its pretty little head. So, we are presently in the birthday frenzy and life is pretty much revolves around birthday agendas.

Yesterday, for example, I had lunch with one of my favorite girlfriends, bought some vintage clothing, and went to The Pot for cheese & chocolate with Pootles. Excellent day, with lots of love, cards, and calls from family and friends. I also received a clear vinyl dome umbrella and steam curlers, which if you haven't tried, you should, as they are the most-fantastic rollers in the world. Richard Caruso. Go get some.

Today we are going to Manassas to do M's present: a helicopter flying lesson. It was supposed to rain all day today, but sure enough, the sky is blue and the clouds are sparse. Ha! He was more than apprehensive when I gave this to him, but I thought it was cool. Maybe he'll like it better when he is actually up in the air and actually flying the whirlybird. :)

But more importantly, tonight we are driving to Philly so that tomorrow, we can go to open houses!! We have 4 or 5 open houses, plus our realtor (thenceforth referred to as Ol' Rolly) is going to show us a few more. Woot! We have seen some already, and chose our favorite. M's looked like his senior-year dorm/apartment, except there was a large outdoor space used for parking. Mine was a teensy place, dubbed "The Dollhouse," which was adorable but had a laughable kitchen that induced side stiches. Oh well. As unrealistic as I've been told my expectations are, I believe that one day, M and I will both walk into a house and say, "This is it. This is our home." A romantic notion, maybe, but you only buy your first house once... And we'll be here for the next four years, so we want to find something that suits both our needs:

Marc: Man Room, Walking distance from his work & my school, Preferably parking
Me: Two toilets, Washer & Dryer in-unit, Preferably a fireplace and two floors

Now really, is that so much to ask?

Apparently so.

We'll keep you updated on any progress, and maybe post some pictures of prospects. :) Wish us luck!

Welcome!

Hello, and thanks for stopping by!

Yesterday was my birthday, which always inspires the determination of new resolutions the promise of life improvements. I'm getting old, after all, and should really try to live in a somewhat motivated fashion. :) Really and truly, though, this is going to be a gigantic year for Marc and myself, so with some luck, this blog will be an opportunity for us to keep you updated about all the crazy happenings of our first year as a married couple, as well as provide an outlet of stress relief when we are overwhelmed and bedazzled. Yes, bedazzled. I am that a lot.

Things you can expect to read about these next twelve months include:

• The comical frustration that surrounds a fast-approaching wedding (June 7!!)
• The utter cluelessness, terror, and EXCITMENT of buying our first house!
• Marc's BarBri odyssey to conquer the looming PA/NJ exam, and my attempt to move to move all our things to Philly without disturbing him
• Marc's initiation to the Real World at MMWR and mortgage madness
  
• My "first day of school" as I begin what will *probably* be my last 4 years of education... Probably.

Don't worry-- these are just the highlights. Don't they say that "life is what happens when you are busy making plans?" A lot of life will take place between these milestones, so we hope you'll check in often to see what we're up to.

It will be a ride!